Rake



B. E. LEAS.

Jan. 16, 1923.

RAKE.

FILED nov. 1. 1921.

INVENTOR 5. E. LAs "M AYTURNEYS Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED SITES BERT E. LEAS, OF LUVERNE, MINNESOTA.

RAKE. "*1 r Application filed November 1, 1921. Serial No. 512,006.

To all ctr/ mm, mo'g can earn Be it iUlOWll that I, Iheirr l5, Inis, acitizen of the United States, and resident of lnivcrnc, in the county01" lloclt and State of iwliunesota. have invented a new and Improved.iialcc. of which the following: is a full. clear. and exactdescription.

Idy invention relates to a rake. and aims to provide certain new anduseful. improvements in connccthm with a device of this character.

More particularly my present invention is in the nature of a rakeprimarily intended for use on lawns, although the same is notnecessarily limited to this particular adaptation.

In connection with rakes of this type it is well understood thatconsiderable diili culty has hccn experienced, incident to the fact thatleaves. dead grass, etc. have quickly clogged the teeth 01" the rake,and the Operator has had to remove the accumulated debris from the teethby means of his fingers.

Aside from the fact that this operation is more or less objectionable,it also consumes a great amount of time. and with this in mind mypresent invention aims to provide a ral're in which the teeth may becleaned in a semi-automatic manner, and without necessitating theoperator using his lingers to accomplish this result. also overcomingthe delay heretofore experienced for the accomplishment of thiscleansing of the teeth.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a device oithe character stated which shall be extremely simple in construction andoperation. and

Still further ohiects of this invention will. appear in the annexedspecification. taken in connection with the drawings which latterillustrate one practica einhodiment of the same. and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a. rake embodyinn my improved construction.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view talten along the line l2 and in thedirection of the arrows indicated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the rake and showing the position which theparts as some upon the teeth being cleaned, and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 44 and inthe direction of the arrows indicated in Figure 2.

In these views it will be seen that the reference numeral :1 indicatesthe handle of the rake, to which head of any desirable construction issecured in a manner hereinafter specified. In the embodiment illustratedthe head includes teeth 6, all of which extend through a rib 7, thelatter serving to retain all of the teeth, a single unit.

Referring now more particularly to the construction utilized foretl'ecting this attachment it will be seen that I preferably utilize amember terminating in a plurality of forks 8, the rib 7 of the headbeing disposed between the prongs of these forks. and retained in thisposition by any convenient means; such as a bolt 9, extending: throughthe prongs. The body of the member aforementioned preferably consistsconveniently of a pair of plates 10, arranged one upon each side of theflat outer end portion it of the ferrule 12. associated With the handle7, these portions being held in this position by means of a transverselyextending pivot pin 13.

With a view of strengthening" the structure, and also to provide meanswhich will serve to limit the rocking movement of the plates l0 withrespect to the fiat portion 1 i it will he noted that the said plates 10are connected adjacent their rear ends by means of a saddle portion 14,the latter being so disposed as to normally have its inner facecontacting with the upper edge portion of the flat portion 11, thuslimiting the swinging movement of the plates 10 in one direction.

Finally to limit the swinging movement 01 the plates in the oppositedirection. and also to normally retain these members in their normalposition, as in Figure: l and 2. it will be seen first that the rearedges of each of the plalcs 10 is preferably formed with an oft-set partor extension l5 which. when the plates are swung" to the positionillustrated in Figure 3, contact with the pin to to produce thelimitation af rcmcntioncd. Also a spring l'T has its inner cud fixedlysecured to the under edge of the Fiattened portion ll. and its outer endengages the lower edges of the plates 10 so that when the parts aremoved to the position indicated in Figure 3. said springs 17 will bearagainst the under edges of the plates 10 and tend to move the same tothe position shown in Figures l and 2.

In operation it will be seen that the head of the rake may be drawn bymeans of the Ill) handle. through grass. leaves, etc. and that the headof the rake will he retained perleetly elevated with respeet to thehandle. Assumin". however. that the teeth (5 heeoine eholted with deadleaves. and it is desired to elear the same. it will he understood thatthis may readily he aeeomplished h an operator simply pushing the rakeforwardly as in Figure 3 and when this oeeurs. the engagement of therake teeth 6 with the suppoi-tin surfaee will he sufiieient toeounterart the tension of the springs 17. and cause the head to heeomelHHlIOYtlhlG with respeet to the handle. \Vhen this oeeurs. the teeth (5forming a part of the head will he moved to a position at Whieh theywill lie almost parallel to the supporting surt'aee. and in thisposition it will he understood that the eontaet hetween the siqiportingsurtaee and the aeeumulation upon the teeth will he stiflieienl' for theleaves. etc. to he readily stripped from these teeth.

Thus all of the ohieets set forth in this speeitieation hare heenaeeoniplished. and it will further he understood that numerousinodifi'ations of structure might readily be resorted to without in theleast departing from the spirit of my invention: whieh I elaim as;

l. A ralte ineluding' a handle. a tooth supporting head. a pair oiplates seenred to said head and extending upon opposite sides of thehandle. means for roeltingly eonnerting said plates and handle. and a.saddle portion eonneeting said plates and hridging the said handle.

2. A *alce ineluding a handle. a tooth supporting head. a pair of platesseeured to said head and extendin; upon opposite sides of the handle.means for roekinglr eonueeting said plates and handle. a saddle portioneonnerting said plates and adjacent the rear ends of the same. and meansearried hy said handle and engaging the lower edges oi said plates fornormally retaining said saddle in eontaet with said handle.

3. A rake including a handle, a tooth supporting head. a pair of platesseemed to said head and extending upon opposite sides ol' the handle.means extending: through said plates and handle for roehii'ig lyattaehing the same together. a saddle portion connect.- inn' said platesand adjacent the rear ends of the same. and a spring having one oi itsends attuehed to said handle its opposite end hearing against the loweredges of said plates whereby to normally retain said saddle in eontaetwith said handle.

4'. A ralte ll'llllltllllfl a handle. a tooth supporting head, a pair o?plates seenred to said head and extend i no upon opposite sides of thehandle. lllt'tlllS tor roeltinp ly attaehing said plates and handletogether. a saddle portion eonneetin said plates and adjaeent the endsof the saline. and a spring: having one oi its ends attarhed to saidhandle. its opposite end hearing aegiinst the lower edges of said plateswherehy to normally retain said enddle in eontaet with said handle. andextension to said plates at the rear ends thereof and lateral stopscarried hv said handle and in the path of travel of said extensionswhereby to limit the mm 'emeut of said plates with respect to saidhandle.

5. In a deviee ot the eharaeter deserihed. in eonil'iination. a handleformed with a flattened end portion. a pair ot' plates roeltinglyeonneeted with said end. said plates adapted at their front ends tosupport a 'alte head. :1 saddle portion (HHHPPlZlIlQ' said platesadjaeent their rear ends and eooperatine' with the upper edge oi saidhandle end portion for limiting; the rocking movement oi the plates inone direetion. llexihle means for maintaining said plates in normalposition. rez-irnardli' projeetiug extensions at the rear ends of saidplates. and lateral stops mounted on said handle. in the path of travelol said extensions. whereh to limit movement of said plates in anotherdireetion.

BERT E. LEAS.

